Nearly 40% of DoCoMo user base use mobile wallet phones

DoCoMo rolled out the first phones with built-in mobile payment chips in July 2004, gradually boosting the user base to present 20 million – a 38% share of DoCoMo’s 52 million wireless subscribers. The various usage scenarios for Osaifu Keitai, a Japanese name for the mobile wallet, have emerged during this period, including train commute ticketing service Mobile Suica, e-money payment systems QUICPay and Edy, mobile credit card iD, coupon service Toruca, different kinds of identification and point cards. During the same period, the number of POS accepting Osaifu Keitai payments has increased to 200,000 locations. And it seems that DoCoMo intends to continue its aggressive foray into financial services by adding new capabilities to the service and signing up new partners.